Assumption coaches make great save

WORCESTER — Paul McGonagle doesn't want all the attention. Matt Sidebottom didn't think it was that big of a deal.

By Jennifer Toland, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER — Paul McGonagle doesn't want all the attention. Matt Sidebottom didn't think it was that big of a deal. But that's how heroes — real heroes — are. Assumption College has eight of them. Seven members of the Assumption football coaching staff happened upon a mugging outside the team hotel in Stamford, Conn., last Friday night and "did what we were supposed to do," in Sidebottom's words.

But that's how heroes — real heroes — are.

Assumption College has eight of them.

McGonagle, Sidebottom and six other members of the Assumption football coaching staff — Anthony Barese, Chris Grautski, Todd Parsons, Todd Warmington, Mark Ledbetter and Jonathan Jean-Louis – happened upon a mugging outside the team hotel in Stamford, Conn., last Friday night. The Greyhounds were playing at Pace, located in nearby Pleasantville, N.Y., the next afternoon.

Upon hearing cries for help and seeing a man being beaten by two assailants, the Assumption coaches, who were on their way out of the hotel at about 9:30 to go get something to eat, acted immediately in aiding the victim, chasing down his attackers and handing them over to local police.

"We saw somebody in trouble," Sidebottom said. "We did what we were supposed to do."

Barese was the first of the Assumption group to walk out of the hotel and the first to see and hear the confrontation taking place right across the street.

"I said, 'Let's go,' " Barese said, " 'Let's stop it.' "

Following Barese's lead, the coaches ran across the street.

"(The attackers) saw us coming," McGonagle said, "and they took off. We all ran, taking rights and lefts trying to find them."

A quarter-mile pursuit, through parking lots, down alleys and over a fence, ensued.

Barese called 911 while he was running.

"I told them we just witnessed a mugging," Barese said.

The attackers ran their separate ways.

Barese and Grautski tracked down one assailant in front of an office building.

"We told him to get on the ground," Grautski said. "You don't know if that's going to work in that situation, but he saw the two of us and he kind of said, 'I didn't do anything,' and we said, 'We saw you.' You never know if he could have had a gun or a knife on him. Luckily, he didn't have a weapon. He went down on his stomach and we just stood over him until the police got there."

Meanwhile, McGonagle and Jean-Louis went to get the victim and brought him over to where Barese and Grautski were with the first attacker.

"We wanted him to ID the guy," McGonagle said, "make sure we had the right guy."

Soon after, McGonagle and Sidebottom found the second attacker hiding in a nearby Taco Bell parking lot. The victim identified him as one of his attackers as well.

"(The victim) was shaking," McGonagle said. "He had a mark on his face. It definitely could have been a lot worse."

The coaches estimated the victim was about 35.

Four or five police cruisers arrived. Several of the Assumption coaches talked to officers. The victim was taken to the hospital.

"After about 25 minutes, everything calmed down, police took over and we went our way," McGonagle said.

Greyhounds head coach Bob Chesney had stayed back at the hotel, so he had no idea what had happened until after the game the next day.

"We didn't want to bother him the night before a game," McGonagle said, "or on game day. We let him know right after the game and then we thought it was kind of over with."

On Sunday, Chesney received an email from the Stamford chief of police. He was impressed with how the coaches handled the situation calmly and without using physical force and he expressed his appreciation.

Chesney also received an email from the victim with his thanks for the coaches' bravery.

"When no one is around that's really when your character is on display," Chesney said. "The majority of people would walk away from that situation. Walk away and let the guy get beat up. I hope I would have done the same thing and not let another human being be affected that way. It could have changed that guy's life forever in numerous ways. I'm sure it did already, but it physically could have altered his life and I think it's important our guys stood up for him."

Contact Jennifer Toland at jtoland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTandG.